Bitcoin recently surged past $110,000, signaling strong investor confidence in blockchain technology as a foundation for the future of money. Rebecca Walser of Walser Wealth Management believes this marks the beginning of a long-term upward trend, even if short-term volatility causes retrenchments similar to gold during liquidity crunches. 

She emphasizes that fluctuations—especially during periods of economic stress, trade negotiations, or capital raises—shouldn’t shake conviction in Bitcoin’s potential. 

Walser argues this evolution will eventually disrupt traditional fiat systems and require a fundamental shift in how banking operates. In her view, Bitcoin, as the original and most established digital asset, is poised to lead this transformation despite the expected market ups and downs.

Finsum: As central banks explore digital currencies and private cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin gain traction, blockchain is emerging as the inevitable backbone of global finance.

With U.S. GDP dipping negative in Q1 and tariffs clouding the policy outlook, concerns are mounting over how resilient the American consumer truly is. Rising credit card delinquencies point to financial strain, especially among lower-income, lower-FICO borrowers, while looser post-pandemic underwriting standards and inflation have only added pressure. 

In contrast, higher-income consumers—especially homeowners—have largely weathered the storm, thanks in part to low fixed-rate mortgages and tighter lending practices in recent years. 

This divergence is pushing savvy investors to focus on more defensive segments like asset-backed residential credit and small business loans with strong underwriting. While these may offer slightly lower yields, they come with greater resilience and the potential for long-term stability amid an increasingly bifurcated market. 

Finsum: As credit performance grows more uneven, navigating this environment requires a sharper eye on borrower quality and a flexible, informed investment approach.

BlackRock just gave its muni bond lineup a jolt by flipping its High Yield Municipal Fund into a fresh, actively managed ETF: the iShares High Yield Muni Active ETF (HIMU), now trading on the CBOE. This fund isn’t your average sleepy muni play—HIMU is chasing juicy, tax-free income in today’s high-rate world, with a lean 0.42% net expense ratio after a fee trim. 

It's diving deep into the high-yield pool, with at least 65% of its assets in bonds rated BBB or lower—and yes, there’s room for up to 10% in distressed debt if the upside looks good. BlackRock’s betting that active management gives it the edge, letting it pounce on market moves that passive funds might miss. 

HIMU is the latest in BlackRock’s growing arsenal of bond ETFs, aiming to deliver alpha with a punch of flexibility and tax-free appeal.

Finsum: The launch comes as muni bonds are heating up again, with investors and advisors hunting for income and stability in a volatile environment.

Silver surged to its highest level in 13 years and platinum hit peaks not seen since early 2022, as investors piled into industrial precious metals amid strengthening fundamentals and market momentum. Both metals extended sharp gains from the prior session, with silver rallying past $36 an ounce and platinum climbing nearly 3%, while gold pulled back slightly following stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data that cooled rate-cut expectations. 

Renewed physical demand—especially for silver in India and platinum in China—has supported the rally, alongside a tightening supply outlook that’s pushing both markets toward deficits this year. 

Silver’s role in solar panel production and platinum’s use in auto catalysts and lab equipment continue to anchor their industrial relevance, fueling investor interest. Analysts note that holding silver above $35 could reignite retail demand, while platinum-backed ETFs are seeing a resurgence, hinting at a broader speculative move. 

Finsum: With palladium also joining the rally and ETF inflows rising, the precious metals space is regaining serious momentum even as gold temporarily steps back.

The Invesco QQQ Trust and Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF continue to serve as efficient vehicles for tapping into the performance of leading large-cap growth stocks through their tracking of the Nasdaq-100 Index. While passively managed, these funds remain highly relevant for active investors, especially as many portfolio managers increase exposure to familiar tech giants. 

During the first quarter of 2025, a temporary pullback in mega-cap names prompted several high-performing active managers to increase holdings in companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia. 

These four names, which collectively represent over a quarter of the QQQ and QQQM portfolios, have shown resilience and strong earnings momentum, particularly in areas like cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Microsoft’s Azure business, for instance, exceeded expectations with robust demand for AI services, while Amazon rebounded following earlier weakness tied to trade concerns. 

Finsum: As fundamentals remain intact and investor interest stays elevated, these ETFs continue to offer a compelling entry point into the most influential names in the growth space.